Intelligence Isn't Everything
by JustJo94
Summary: AU/ Bella’s world is books and homework and she is content. When she gets to college, a whole new world opens her eyes, and the romance in her life is not confined to written pages.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

I've never been good with relationships.

I've never had a boyfriend, or even entertained the idea of having one. In fact, friendships in general, especially ones with girls, had been basically non-existent in my life.

I have _always_ been independent.

I never felt the need to justify myself or my opinions to anyone else for any reason.

But, things have changed.

I now find myself sitting in my favorite chair, looking out on the backyard pondering how much my life has torn me away from my isolated existence. If someone were to have told me then that this is how much my life was going to change, I would have laughed at them while walking away.

I am in a relationship and am genuinely happy. Albeit that it can't be categorized under what the average person would deem a "normal" relationship. I don't think that I would be if it were any other way.

I have a best friend whom I couldn't see myself living without. The irony of the situation didn't escape me. I had been perfectly content to live my life as it was; never knowing the happiness that was destined for me.

Now that I know that this type of happiness exists, I couldn't survive without it.

The road that led me here, however, was far from being paved with gold.

I had endured isolation, been taunted by my peers and faced rejection in its most painful forms.

As a child, I was the type that was pretty easy going. Even my parents, well, mostly my mother, said that when I was a baby, I would just sit in my swing for hours and just take everything in. She said that she didn't worry about toys for me, because I would never play with them; they didn't interest me.

As I got older, my entertainment came in the form of books. She always got me a book when we went out whether it was a generic board book when I was a toddler, to a classic novel when I was in middle school.

My childhood was far from what one would call normal.

Mom left my father when I was relatively young. My father was never an important factor in my upbringing. I did spend a couple of weeks with him each year on vacation in California, but other than that, he was mostly a voice over the phone.

Overall, I was a naturally observant person. When I wasn't actively participating in any kind of "normal social behavior", it wouldn't have been uncommon to find myself on the sidelines watching others. I took interest in seeing how others would react when faced with unique predicaments or awkward moments. I always found it amusing to see the situations that folks would get themselves into without really trying to.

Many would have thought that this characteristic alone would have saved me years of heartache and torture. However, even the most observant individual will only see the trees instead of the forest in front of them; only see what they want in order to suit their personal needs. All the other details will eventually fade away into the background, along with the big picture.

Only now do I completely understand the phrase, "hindsight is 20/20".

Mom always said that I was destined to do great things, and that is why I seemed to stand alone intellectually and socially. I never appeared to fit in, and my high school experiences seemed to amplify that fact.

It wasn't for a lack of trying.

Evidently I was born without the gene to function on a normal level socially. I always found it difficult to juggle the various personalities of friends that I had made. I never cliqued with any one person; one that I could fill the title of best friend.

When I was in elementary school, I did attend sleepovers and birthday parties, but the other girls there were already thick as thieves and I found it difficult to indentify my place with them. I always felt that I was forcing myself on them and that if I was to truly be myself, they wouldn't like me. Over time, it just became easier for me to write myself off as being different and stopped making an effort.

During high school, I got along with people, but conversations never stepped outside of the "socially acceptable small talk" stage. People didn't mind working with me because they knew that my work ethic was impeccable. In many cases, I was taken advantage of and a majority of the time I ended up doing the bulk of the work. Again, though, I didn't mind because it helped to fill my nights and weekends with something to do.

Academically, I was near perfect.

I always have been and my teachers loved me for it, while my peers loathed me because of it.

I pretty much aced everything. Honors, AP---they never really challenged me.

I was the reason why all the curves were skewed and expectations were set high on assignments and assessments. My ACT score was a perfect thirty-six, which landed me a ton of scholarships, and pretty much gave me an open invitation to any college or university in the United States, and even some that were located overseas. As if my grades, GPA, and class rank weren't enough to solidify my status as the school's social pariah, my acceptance to any university seemed to seal my fate. Although, when your entire life consists of studying, what else would you expect from a girl like me?

I didn't live my high school years like some many of my peers. I never attended a football game, a dance, or a play. They held no interest to me. On those nights, I could be found in my room, curled up in a blanket that my grandma Marie had made me, reading a book, or at my desk working through a calculus problem.

That was my brand of entertainment.

It was also my way of coping with the stress that came with being a teenager, especially a teenager like me.

Mom was always trying to get me to tag along with whatever adventure she was trying out for the week. The activities always varied in topic. From making jewelry to Nia classes or scrapbooking to yoga, I always declined, saying that I was going to hang out with my friends. She never pushed, but I suspected that she had her suspicions about my evening activities.

I had friends, and we hung out every night; Emily Brontë, Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, Samuel Clemens, to name a few. They told me stories of long ago, of love, family, and society. Each night, I found myself transported to a different place or time with their help, and experienced life through them, and the intricate characters they so brilliantly created.

Mom always joked that my perception of romance was skewed based on the literature that I poured myself into. She pitied my first boyfriend because he would never be able to live up to the standard that the written gentlemen had set in terms of romantic expectations. My response was always the same, "What's wrong with that?". I had high standards for everything else, why would that aspect of my life be any different?

High school graduation was supposed to represent the pinnacle of one's educational career. For me, it was just another day. I put on my happy face and, honestly, I was happy. My source of happiness stemmed from the idea that I wouldn't ever see any of those people again.

I gave my cliché speech as the class valedictorian and directed the very group of peers that taunted me for years through the tassel relocation. As I made my way through the mass of people, I saw that many of my classmates were in tears, sobbing and grasping onto their friends while saying their goodbyes. I don't think that I had ever seen such a gross display of false emotion. Several people that I had classes with tried to give me a hug, as if they were my best friend. I uncomfortably gave them a quick hug, and tried to get out of there as fast as I could. I shook hands with a couple of my teachers as I made my way out and then walked away, never to look back.

I couldn't wait for college.

I needed to be out of high school and away from my petty peers. I needed an atmosphere where I could isolate myself, without the scrutiny of others, and focus on my school work. My main goal: to graduate as quickly as possible, and to move on with my life.

Alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Lord love a duck if I don't give props to my schawesome beta, Juliebly! Honestly, this chick made my characters come to life! If you haven't read anything of hers…she and Sparklingtwilight have this small story…Anywhere But Here. **

**Read it.**

**Some may have read this before. I have made some changes, but specifically with this chappie, I just added details and clarified things. **

**Overall, the changes to this story are going to be noticeable in the upcoming chappies. It's going to be a bit darker. In my opinion, real. Are things going to magically fall into place? Maybe…but not likely.**

**I hope that you enjoy this…**

**JustJo94**

Moving In

I stumbled out of the elevator and down the long hallway carrying a small box of personal items and pulling my suitcase behind me to the room that would become my new home for the next year. The doors were evenly spaced apart so that it gave the appearance that you could walk forever, and never reach your room. It was kind of creepy, and it reminded me of the scene in the movie _The Shining_.

I couldn't help but think to myself that this was what I had been waiting for, a fresh start.

_I want to find out who I am…to give myself the opportunity to be the real me. I have the chance to change who I have become. I want to finally try and fit in. Granted, I'm _

_working with a limited pallet, but it's something, none-the-less._

My history was just where I wanted it to be…in the past. I couldn't stand continuing to live my life the way it was any longer. The truth of the matter was that people that I went to high school with wouldn't let me change. It appeared that the more I tried, the more they made my life difficult, tying to keep me for making that change.

After a while, I simply conceded to their "game". I chose to just live with it, and instead turned my focus on my school work. It simply made life easier when I just conformed to the role that they wanted me to play. I hated being that submissive, but like I said, it was just easier. To me it wasn't worth the angst, and to be honest, the idea wasting my time and energy with them didn't appeal to me either.

Life wasn't all that bad though. I had to admit that they socially constrained me into doing my school work. It was a good thing because it helped, rather it enabled, me to earn my full ride scholarship to college.

As I reached my dorm room I found the door slightly ajar and could hear the most melodic and beautiful voice humming from inside.

_Here goes nothing_, I thought to myself and tapped on the door in an effort to announce my presence.

I received no response.

"Hello?" I called, wondering if whomever was in the room hadn't heard my knock.

Yet again, no response.

I nudged the door open a bit further to peer inside and noticed a person that I assumed was my roommate fluttering around the room unpacking while listening to music on her Zune. I wanted to walk up and tap her on the shoulder to get her attention, but it would be somewhat embarrassing if I frightened her. _What a first impression that would make. _

I knocked a little louder on the door, as I set down my bags, yet she still hadn't heard me. Her music was so loud I could heard it coming through her headphones, so when there was a pause between songs on her shuffle I knocked once again. This time she acknowledged my presence.

"Can I help you with something? Are you lost?" she clipped in an icy tone, though her beauty overwhelmed me as she spoke.

She was wearing a basic Pink lounging suit from Victoria's Secret, yet she made it look like she just stepped off a Parisian runway. Her golden blond hair was loosely pulled up into a basic pony-tail which allowed a few strands to frame her perfectly defined face.

I broke out of my befuddled expression and blushed while I searched for the letter I received a few weeks ago from the university. I double checked the information that they gave me; Room, 520. Roommate: Rosalie Hale.

"My name is Isabella Swan. I'm assigned to room this room for the year. Are you Rosalie Hale?"

"I'm sorry, this has to be some mistake. I was promised to have a single room this year." She quickly snatched the letter out of my hand in a huff and mumbled something under her breath, much too quick for me to understand.

_It figures, I had expectations of a start fresh here. No one knows me. None of my history is here to define me. Now, with the very first sentence I speak, I already feel like the leper I was in high school. _

Rosalie sighed, "Let's go find the RA. Maybe she can help to fix this catastrophe that you caused."

She shoved past me, never even so much as looking me in the eye, and stormed down the hallway to where the resident advisor lived.

_Wait, the catastrophe _I _caused? How was this my fault?_

I followed after her, trying not to fall over my own feet in the process. I wasn't happy with her choice of words; I just met her for goodness sake. And I would hope that she understood that I didn't cause anything, the university made the room assignments, not me. While I could see where she was coming from, it didn't excuse her quick judgment of me or the situation.

Rosalie swiftly made her way to the RA's room, and as I got closer, I could hear their conversation from inside the room.

"…nothing that I can do. If the university assigned her to that room with you, there is nothing that can be changed. We were told during our training that all of the rooms were filled up due to the large number of freshmen and transfers in attendance this year."

"But why do I have to suffer because the university screwed up? This isn't fair. I was looking forward to having my privacy this year and now I'm stuck dealing with a sniveling freshman."

This was going to be a long year if I was to be rooming with Rosalie. She was the type of person I tried to avoid all during my high school years. I hated to make presumptions about people, but her actions spoke volumes to me.

I stood there in the doorway with my head down, listening to their banter back and forth about the situation. This was just the type of interaction that I was used to dealing with. I wanted nothing more than to blend into the walls and be on my own as well, but it looked as if fate was not on my side.

I was tired of this self pity. This was precisely the situation I was trying to avoid getting myself into. I wanted to be a strong person and stand up for myself. I opened my mouth, as if to say something to defend myself to Rosalie, but a small pixie like girl who had suddenly appeared beside me spoke before I could find my voice.

"Rose, Emmett is looking for you. Are you done unpacking yet?"

"Alice," Rose sighs in defeat. "No, I'm not done unpacking yet. I've been dealing with a certain issue. Evidently, I have a roommate this year," Rosalie shot a disapproving look in my direction.

It was then that I noticed her eyes, which I expected to be blue, given her blond hair. Instead, they were an intense shade butterscotch, almost like a liquid topaz. I could feel the surprise on my face, and fought to keep my mouth from gaping open. I had never seen such a color before, and I couldn't even make sense of how such a color would come out in nature.

Alice turned her attention toward me and smiled. "Hi! I am Alice Cullen, Rose's sister. It's nice to meet _you_."

As she spoke, I struggled to pay attention to her words as I took in her appearance. She was a beautiful girl with a short stature. Her outfit was very well put together, like she just stepped out of a fashion magazine. Her make-up was subtle, yet it enhanced her beauty, if that was possible. Her jet black hair was short and spiky and fanned out evenly in every direction. It would probably take me years, if not a lifetime, to try to achieve that level of beauty, and yet she stood before me, pulling the look off as if it only took her five minutes.

I also noticed that her eyes were a topaz that rivaled Rosalie's. What were the chances that two people would have the same atypical eye color, even if they were siblings? They also had the same pale, almost iridescent, skin, which was unnerving. Maybe they were related, though physically, they were almost polar opposites.

I caught the inflection on 'you' in her greeting. I turned my head to the side and my eyebrows furled together as if to question, but I didn't trust myself to say anything. Maybe I misheard her. I shook my head to try to clear my thoughts.

"I'm Bella, it's nice to meet you," I stammered, perplexed by the entire situation. Their beauty, their eyes, Rosalie's immediate hatred, and Alice's seeming immediate willingness to accept me. Even their opinions of me fell upon the two extremes of an opinion scale.

Alice turned to Rosalie, "Emmett is really looking for you. Do you need any help in unpacking?"

"It's nothing that I can't finish later. I will catch up with you in a little while, Alice." With that, Rosalie gracefully walked off, not even bothering to acknowledge me standing there.

Shaking my head, I turned to Alice, "It was nice to meet you. I should go and unpack my things now." I said quickly turning to walk back down hall towards my room.

"Wait! Bella, do you need any help? Do you have any more boxes to bring up?" she asked falling in step beside me.

"No, I have all my stuff already in the room. I think I just need to be alone to unpack my things. I don't have much, and it shouldn't take long. Thanks for the offer though." I said, as I entered my room.

Alice watched me carefully as I spoke, "Alright, I guess that I'll be seeing you around," she smiled at that, walked out the door, closing it behind her. I couldn't help to think that there was some underlying joke that I missed during our brief exchange.

I slowly turned around to take in my room. It was very simple, with two full size beds, two closets, two dressers, two desks and two large windows that allowed me to view the entire campus. I slowly walked over to the window and peered out to admire what was going to be my home for the next four years.

_What will campus life bring for me? Will things be better for me here, or will I suffer the same fate as in high school?_

I quickly shook my head at these thoughts. My focus now was to get my stuff unpacked before my roommate decided to make another appearance. I didn't hold any animosity towards Rosalie. I knew that people who looked like her, definitely didn't care for people like me.

I unzipped my suitcase quickly and emptied its contents into the dresser that Rosalie hadn't claimed. I shuddered as I looked at her closet, bursting at the brim with clothes and shoes. I barely had enough clothes to fill two of the four drawers in my dresser.

_Maybe I can earn some points back with her by relinquishing my closet for her to use._

I smirked to myself with that thought as I headed over to my desk and empty the box of supplies that I brought. I took inventory of the items that I still needed to get for classes and such and made a quick list to ensure that I wouldn't forget anything.

Grabbing my bag and keys, I locked up the room, hoping that Rosalie had her key with her, and headed down to the main floor of the dorm and out toward the center of the campus.

I appreciated Alice's offer to help with the room but I knew that when siblings looked as beautiful and well put together as they did, they generally came from money. Thinking back to Rosalie's closet, my suspicions were confirmed. The last thing that I needed was for anyone to take pity on my lack of 'style'.

It wasn't that my family was dissolute. We could afford the necessities such as clothing, cars and smaller 'want' items. I was just very frugal with my money. I didn't see the use of wasting money on things if they weren't necessary.

As I walked out the main doors of the dorm onto the campus, I couldn't help but to feel a

little excited. I looked around at the other students who were wandering around the sidewalks taking in the sights and orienting themselves to their new home just like I was.

Home. I liked the sound of that.


End file.
